Former Employee of Florida Ironworkers Union Indicted For Embezzling $30,000
From Welfare Plan

Atlanta, Georgia - The former office manager of
the Ironworkers Local Union No. 808 Joint Apprenticeship and Training Fund
in Orlando, Florida, has been charged with 42 counts of embezzling
approximately $30,000 in assets from the fund, based on an investigation
conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security
Administration (EBSA).

“Theft
of employee benefit assets jeopardizes the benefits of workers,” said
Howard Marsh, director of the Department’s Atlanta regional office of
the Employee Benefits Security Administration. “This case was the result
of an investigation by the department and the workers covered by the
training fund deserve to have their money used for the intended
purpose.”

Donna
L. Cordero was indicted for embezzling the assets of an employee benefit
plan governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). She
allegedly carried out the criminal act by issuing herself additional
paychecks to which she was not entitled that were drawn on the fund’s
account.

The
indictment was handed down by a federal grand jury for the U.S. District
Court, Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division. If convicted, Cordero
faces a maximum sentence of $250,000 and five years in prison on each of
the criminal counts.

The
Atlanta regional office of the Employee Benefits Security Administration
investigated the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle
District of Florida prosecuted the case.

The
apprenticeship fund covered more than 120 union members under a collective
bargaining agreement with sponsoring employers located throughout central
Florida.

(U.S. v. Cordero)
Criminal No. 03-CR-202ALL

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